The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus and a method for recording an image for recording an output image on a random sheet. More particularly, the invention relates to the apparatus end the method in which developer particles are applied onto a photosensitive recording medium which carries a latent image, and the developer particles are transferred onto the random sheet for providing the output image thereon.
Conventional transfer type image recording mediums are disclosed in Japanese Pat. application Kokai Nos. 61137749, 61-143738, and 61-173981. In the recording mediums, prepared is photosensitive pressure sensitive recording medium and a developer medium which is on market by a paper manufacturing company. The developer medium carries a developer material. The photosensitive pressure sensitive recording medium carries microcapsules which encapsulete therein chromogenic material or dye precursor. These microcapsules are photo cured upon light irradiation and the light exposed microcapsules have increased mechanical strength, whereas the non-exposed microcapsules have low mechanical strength so that the latter can be ruptured upon pressure.
The photosensitive pressure sensitive recording medium is subjected to light exposure to provide a latent image thereon, and the recording medium is superposed with the developer medium and undergoes pressure developing operation. Therefore, the microcapsules having low mechanical strength are ruptured during the pressure developing operation, so that the chromogenic material flows from the microcapsules to react with the developer material, whereupon an output image is provided on the developer medium.
The developer medium is prepared by dispersing the developer materials in an aqueous solution and coating the dispersed solution on a random sheet medium. Therefore, the developer medium requires a base substrate for making the developer material layer thereon. Further, it would be difficult to coat the dispersed aqueous solution onto a specific portion of the base substrate by means of a wet type coating method in view of the maintenance to the coating machine.
Further, in the case where an original image has a pure white color, it would be rather difficult to obtain a pure white color output image, since the developer materials are uniformly provided on the developer medium, and minute chromogenic reaction may occur between the microcapsules on the photosensitive recording medium and the developer materials.